4189. The evil who consider themselves very refined are grosser than the rest.
Certain evil spirits overhead who, I believe, had not been with me before, were behaving subtly, thinking that they were indeed very refined. It was given me to tell them that they were grosser than the rest, that the more subtly evil they are, the cruder they are. I said to them that their minutest components are evil or composite evils, thus their subtle evils of which they consist. Those, however, who are not refined, may be outwardly evil, but not inwardly, so that they are not so gross. 1749, 30 March. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of Jupiter, meaning Thursday.
4189. THAT THE EVIL, WHO THINK THEMSELVES EXTREMELY SUBTLE, ARE YET DULLER THAN OTHERS.
Certain evil spirits above the head who had not, I think, been with me before, acted with subtlety, supposing this to be eminently their character; but it was given to say to them that they were grosser or duller than others; that the more subtle the evil are, the more dull they are. It was moreover said to them that their most singular things or minute constituents were evil, and that they were, in fact, made up of evils. Thus the subtleties of which they were composed, were evil. Those on the other hand who are not subtle may be externally evil, but not so inwardly, consequently they are not so dull. - 1749, March 30.
4189. Quod mali qui putant se subtiles esse, crassiores sunt reliquis
Quidam mali spiritus supra caput, qui non prius, ut reor, apud me fuerunt, subtiliter agebant, putabant se quoque subtiles, quibus dicere datum, quod crassiores essent reliquis, quo subtilius mali, eo crassius, dictum iis, quod singularia eorum mala sint, inde composita mala, sic subtilia eorum mala ex quibus composita; at qui non subtiles sunt, possunt extus mali esse, non ita intus, quare non ita crassi sunt. 1749, 30 Martius.